Video

Info

Pulaski, Wisconsin - Polka Town, U.S.A.

In this video segment from Egg: the arts show, we learn polka music is important to the culture of Pulaski, Wisconsin. With a population of about 2,200, Pulaski has eight to twelve working polka bands. Per capita (per person), the town has more bands and musicians than any other place in America, even Nashville, Tennessee. People from all generations there love to listen to, play and dance to polka music. Even churches integrate polka music into their services.

In the video, Drawing Conclusions: Polka Town, U.S.A., students draw conclusions from basic premises they identify while watching a video. They test each other’s conclusions based on the explicit and implicit information that is available to the reader.

The following Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions are best suited for middle school students using this video in an English language arts or social studies lesson. Be sure to modify the questions to meet your students' instructional needs.

Frame (ELA) How do we draw conclusions from a text? For example, if you read a weather report that said there would be a Northeastern snowstorm starting at 6 a.m. on a school day and the expected accumulation was 15 inches, what conclusion might you draw? When we read or view a text, we gather explicit (or “right-there”) information and implied (or “between-the-lines”) information. In the example about the snowstorm, what information is right there and what information can be gathered by reading between the lines?

Focus (ELA) Gather information about Pulaski by listening to and viewing the explicit information this video offers. Think also about what information is implied.

Follow Up (ELA) What conclusions can you draw about Pulaski based on the explicit and implied information you gathered from the video? Discuss the process you used to come up with the conclusions you identified.

Frame (SS) What is the root of Polka music in Pulaski Wisconsin? From what ethnic group does Polka music come?

Focus (SS) Learn how polka music identifies the people of Pulaski Wisconsin.

Follow Up (SS) Pulaski, Wisconsin was named for a Polish man, Kazimierz Pulaski, who was a general in the cavalry of the American Revolutionary War. Besides its name, what do you think is the connection between General Pulaski and Pulaski, Wisconsin? How did Polka music arrive in Wisconsin? What period in American history is known for the immigration of Polish people and their migration to the Midwest of the United States? Describe this period of immigration and why it was significant in American history.